Waiting In Silence
by Scottea
Summary: Waiting in silence for something to happen then remaining silent after it happens.
1. Chapter 1

Waiting. How he hated waiting, even this type of waiting. Looking around the bridge he knew he was not alone in hating waiting. From how the others were at their stations he knew they were just sitting, waiting. They were physically at their stations and going through the motions but he knew they were waiting. Even Spock, who would deny to his death that he felt any emotions, his usual cat-like alertness was almost palpable.

There had been a strange quietness about the whole ship. The shift changes went more quietly than usual, hardly an unnecessary word spoken. Captain James Kirk knew that the crew had been through more horrific encounters than what they had just survived but nothing that had lasted so long, challenged them all, and was still affecting three of their number. They had encountered many more advanced beings than what they had just encountered yet not one that had been as sadistic and cruel. And now they waited. Waited and remembered

Kirk rested an arm on the armrest of the command chair, rested his head in his hand, closed his eyes, and let himself remember all that had led to this moment. Remembered all those things he should report.

Some unknown force had held them still in space. All attempts at contacting the intelligence behind it had failed. They had been exploring deeper into space along the border with Klingon territory and had been matched by a Klingon bird of prey when whatever it was had stopped them. They had hung all but dead in space beside each other. There had been no contact with the Klingon ship nor what held them. Kirk had seen clear frustration on Uhura's face as she tried repeatedly in all known languages to make contact. He had also seen the near bewildered look on his Science Officer's as he looked from his computer, to his scanner, to the viewer. All that was visible was the Klingon ship.

In horror they watched as the Klingon vessel was slowly and methodically torn apart as though being peeled panel by panel for each newly exposed section to be examined. They had heard the screams of the Klingons as they died.

There had been a flash of light then a booming voice, "Captain James Tiberius Kirk, we will now take the crew of your ship and return them unharmed when we have finished testing the will and knowledge of one of them who is neither a senior officer nor an ensign but a regular officer but one willing to be tested."

When he had looked around to see the reaction of the others on the bridge he realized he was alone. It had taken all of the crew except himself off the ship. Without bothering to check with every department Kirk knew at his core he was alone on the Enterprise. As alone as he had been where the spores on Omicron Ceti III had lured all the crew to the planet. Only this was different. This, this had been like they had all vanished at once. A part of his mind would not accept that but the other part of his brain knew whatever it was out there was far more powerful and advanced than them and as it clearly had the power to stop a starship and a Klingon warbird so suddenly without detection to be able to so easily just peel panels off a ship as it had there was possibly no limit to their abilities.

Just sitting looking at empty space made him uneasy and yet calmed him. He mentally went through all that he should have been able to do and yet knew he could do nothing. There was something out there yet there was nothing but space to see. Life support was on but no power, no weapons, nothing. Even the chronometer had stopped so he had no idea of the passage of time.

A monotone voice, that same voice as before, seemed to fill the bridge as a constantly changing figure floated about the empty space. Slowly Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, and an officer from Engineering came onto the bridge and went to their stations after nodding to him. "The officer of the other ship was not willing to die for his fellow officers, nor his ship. We had selected him as he seemed like one likely to last our test. He yielded so they knew the fear he did before their deaths. He yielded formally which would be expected by those of higher rank. A formal yielding as per their regulations. No reports from them. We learned nothing new from him. Your officer still shows a willingness to continue the test. Your officer shows an unusual ability to endure extreme levels of pain and still think rationally and if not able to give names he at least gives ranks, the location of station, and shifts of his fellow officers. It is very rare to encounter such a being. Your officer seems to have a pattern as he got you and some of your command crew freed first then we insisted on an eighty percentage of your regular crew in proportion to each senior officer and he was able to do so. He was most insistent we not damage any of the crew and we had to show him we were not harming any of the officers. As you can tell from those we are returning they are completely uninjured."

Captain Kirk looked at the senior officers on the bridge who had been returned, "My crew is protective of one another as they are a crew yet they are also individuals."

"True but of the regular crew he was the first one to step forward, even before the conditions of the test were explained. It was clear to us that the others were waiting to know what was expected but he stepped forward before any of the conditions were stated. Of all the ships we have encountered he was the first to challenge us. None before had stepped forward and challenged us as he did, daring us to uphold our word "

At the word "ships" he had felt rather than heard the way the plural had stunned the others. Clearly they and the Klingon ship were not the first to experience this.

"The last two command officers were injured in a vain attempt to take control. We would have disciplined them further but he said doing so would prove us to be inferior beings. You should be honored to have such a one on your ship. He was even then badly injured yet he still challenged us. He shows us new aspects. We seek knowledge. Should he survive the rest of the testing with us there is a final part to the test that you and the crew must attempt to be given sufficient power back to get you to one of your stations.

"The final part of the test has three parts. It is as a result of him having passed our test to this stage that you and your crew is alive. Should he not survive after his tests for the final two officers we will sustain your life till help finds you drifting in space but you will have neither engine power nor weapons. You will not know what that test was should he not survive having saved you. Should he survive and you not even attempt the test for him back on his ship let alone recognize it at all you will remain as you are until help arrives. As he did with the others, he has named and we will be returning your officers to you shortly. The two senior officers will be able to attest that your officer willingly agreed to the continued testing. Should he survive the return to the ship and you recognize the test and attempt it we will return and you will be given dilithium crystals more powerful than what your world knows and the external damage done to your ship repaired. Only if the test is attempted will we be satisfied you at least attempted it. Your success is most unlikely but a serious attempt is required."

Clearly those holding them had language problems but he got the gist of the message. There was going to be a test and they were expected to attempt it even though they may not know what it was and it was unlikely that they would succeed but the fact that they attempted it was enough. .

Almost as soon as the being had left McCoy contacted him from SickBay in a stream of expletives about what had happened. That had been the last communication with whatever it was out there holding them. It had beamed the rest of the crew aboard in groups and had finished by beaming Spock and Scotty aboard. Then the clearly broken and bloodied form of Darren Randell had been lain at his feet like some sort of prized offering. There had been a moment's stillness then a whirlwind of medical staff rushing in, reports from all departments as full power was restored, and gradually a feeling close to normality was restored.

While he had been relieved when McCoy had said that they were all alive he tried to think what it was that was expected of them now. It was still a test.

Doctor McCoy came onto the bridge and he had seen how the others looked at him. For a moment McCoy had hesitated and he saw Uhura start to stand, "Spock and Scotty are both in Recovery. Scotty in an induced coma for another six standard hours and Spock is in a Vulcan healing trance."

With McCoy there had always been a way for him to know what the man was thinking and looking at his friend he could see the tiredness and beneath it the anger, "Officer Darren Randell's condition has not changed and remains critical."

"Bones?"

"Jim, we, we need to talk."

For a moment he just looked at his friend and Chief Medical Officer then, when he looked around the bridge he saw how his crew were sitting at their stations even though there was nothing they could do, just sitting watching him, he knew they would have heard. "Sulu, you have the Con. I'll update you all from Sickbay."

They went to the small briefing room and had McCoy waited for him to sit before looking at him, "Jim, how many crewmen are under your command?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Four hundred and twenty-nine, what has,"

"There are exactly four hundred and twenty-nine distinct and separate significant injuries to Officer Randell. Each one expertly placed to cause the most pain and clearly done in a planned way over a set period of time as though they wanted to ensure he was aware of and felt every one of them." For just a moment they looked at each other, not, he knew, as Chief Medical Officer and Captain but as two men who realize what another has done for them and their friends.

"They've had us for just over four standard days so that's what," briefly he had closed his eyes then looked back at McCoy, "one injury about every fifteen minutes?"

"Damn them! Damn them they knew. They knew!"

"Knew what, Bones?"

"It was long enough for him. It was long enough between each injury for him to just start to get over the shock of new pain. That's why they did it all over him, so that he did not know where it was going to hurt next, so he could not fully process what was going on and would react to the pain. Somehow, somewhere in that broken body is something holding him here. They were trying to make him yield, make him give up." He had not missed the deep anger in his friend, "They tortured him, they wanted to break him. If they broke him they would be able to just peel the Enterprise apart the way they did that Klingon ship. He," McCoy looked away and closed his eyes and he could tell from his stance he was only just holding onto control. "He is now," blue pain-filled eyes looked at him, "he is now totally unresponsive to all external stimuli."

It felt like an icy hand had gripped him for a moment then he had dragged his fingers through his hair. "Bones, what is the final test they want? What is it they haven't already done? There is no way of knowing how long it will take any ship to find us."

McCoy had looked at him, "They said he had saved us and kept emphasizing should he survive. They obviously expect him to die of his injuries." He shook his head and again briefly closed his eyes before he looked right back at him and he had seen the anger and concern in his friend, "Jim, he still could as it is too much, far too much of a fight. There is just so much that a human body can stand. They systematically tortured him as he named the crew. They attacked every part of his body. There is not an organ in his body that is not damaged almost to the point of failure, some I am uncertain if even regeneration will work on, every bone in his body has been broken or crushed almost beyond fusion, muscles are all,"

He had stood and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, "He is a fighter, Bones. We've both seen,"

"That's just it, Jim," McCoy looked at him and he had seen misery in the blue eyes, "This is a fight I do not think he can win. I best get back to him. So many of the crew have been in with ways to help him as well as just wanting to be with him. I have Spock in another room. While I am not sure even Spock could survive what they have done to him I think we both know that that our Vulcan First Officer will find a way to blame this all on himself"

Only for a moment did he want to point out that there were other medical staff would could care of Officer Randell but he knew Spock was not the only one blaming themself for what happened.

Only as they were walking into Sickbay did they speak again McCoy stopped them just inside the door, **"**Ever find out exactly what they wanted?"

"No but I think whatever they found in him surprised them."

So many times he had heard Spock, Scotty, and McCoy either praise or damn Officer Randell, sometime both at the same time, for his recklessness or his impulsiveness. In his mind he heard them say he would not quit once he had decided on an action, that he had no fear of the result if what he was doing needed doing, that he had a knack of securing items that even the higher echelon said could not be obtained, that he had be able to get from locals material that the governing bodies of the planets had said no to letting them have, and that he put the needs and safety of others before his own.

Quickly he looked in the adjoining room and saw Spock was if not asleep at least resting. Satisfied that his friend was at least abiding in his own way with McCoy's dictates Kirk walked into the intensive care area. McCoy did not have the surgical support unit over Randell so he realized that it was, as McCoy had said, a fight that Randell had to fight. Hesitantly he had stopped and just stared at the unmoving body. In his mind he had kept asking himself if he had the right to approach the bed or not. There were others there and he was aware of them watching him but all he could think of was that that unmoving body should have been him. It would have been him if their opponent had been anything like what they experienced elsewhere but they had insisted on a regular crew member and not a senior officer nor an ensign.

The monitors showed that Randell was breathing, that his heart was beating, but it also showed the amount of pain he was in despite all the medication he was on. While he saw the man there he also remembered what he had seen when the man had been transported back to the ship. So much more like a bloodied and tangled pile of flesh and bone that a human being. On the bridge he had been unable to move, to think, to react as he should. He had been so thankful that it had not been his First Officer and friend or his Chief Engineer.

Slowly he had walked right up to the bed and McCoy had reached out, taken his hand and placed it gently on the shattered hand of the officer. "Just leave it on his, Jim. He will be aware you are there without you having to actually hold it. Just let him know you are here by feeling your hand. He is heavily medicated but I am sure a part of his brain will register somebody is here with him, that somebody cares."

There were intermittent slight movements of the fingers under his hand and he had realized they were just a slight indication of the pain possessing the body. Pain that should have been his. He was the Captain of the ship. He had sworn to protect his crew. He should have been the. N, he had stopped his train of thoughts, of blaming himself. Whoever or whatever had been controlling them had said that even before the conditions of the test were known Randell had volunteered.

As he had stood with his hand resting on his officer's he had tried to think what the three parts of the final test would be. They had enough life support and supplies to keep them till help arrived but when that would be was unknown. They had, after all, been tracking a Klingon vessel further into space than was the official end of the neutral zone.

As he stood looking down at Randell he had heard that beloved voice from the bed closest to him, "He is still alive, Jim."

"But for how long? They said there is a test, we have a final test to do with him before we are free."

"Interesting," slowly Spock had raised himself onto an elbow and looked at him and said, "Captain, did they tell you what the test would be?"

"No. Only that it is in three parts. No indication of what they involve. They said we might not even recognize it."

"As advanced as they are, Captain, I do not see how we would be able to detect what they could test us on. You are aware that they are so much more advanced scientifically to us that we are, to them, at the same evolutionary level as our forefathers just coming out of caves?"

He had walked over to Spock's bed, "I got that feeling while I was alone on the bridge. With the ship dead in space, the crew gone, and knowing that something could stop a starship and a Klingon warbird like that I sort of realized that whatever we are dealing with it advanced way beyond our wildest dreams. What was it like for you?"

Spock had lain back down for a moment with his eyes closed. "They, themselves, were pure energy. Energy we have no real comprehension of. Their craft, if that is what it could be called, was solid yet fluid and gaseous. It defies all our known theories of physics as it seemed capable of changing shape so I was unable to ascertain its size although I would speculate that it is substantially larger than the Enterprise. Although our sensors could not detect it their sensors were able to give them a detailed visual not only of the exterior of the Enterprise but also the interior, they had the ability view actual cross-sections of the ship and view the individual levels of the ship. Where we were first held as a group was a large area, although there were no visible walls nor floor or ceiling you were aware of being in an enclosed space. At the start it was a most unusual experience for you could see neither floor nor walls, only space but they then made walls, a ceiling, and a floor appeared so we knew we were in a large hall. For the first few hours that they had him they had a visual display of the Enterprise on a screen that seemed to fill a wall and we could see that he was doing something was going to allow for the crew to be returned to the ship in equal numbers from each department. When they extracted Mister Scott and myself from the group we were not shown what crew was to be sent back nor what had been done to him. We were taken to a room where were saw a recording of what had been done to him to free the crew. We watched how they systematically tortured him as he named his fellow crewmen. "

With his eyes still closed Spock had steepled his fingers and briefly touched his two index fingers to his lips, "Had our encounter with them been more amicable it would have been fascinating to have been able to learn more about how they developed. They did find us equally as fascinating. There was something about how we related to one another that seemed to surprise them. His ability to care about others more than himself, to remember so many others and refer to them as not expendable."

He had nodded as he remembered what the voice had said, "They did mention that they found Randell's willingness to be used unusual. I do not think we are the first to encounter them. Just the way they mentioned other ships and others."

"It appeared to astound them that such a puny example of this ship's crew, as they often referred to Officer Randell, had such a logical and systematic mind. They," for a moment Spock had been quiet then looked up at Kirk. "For such an advanced race they were bestial in their method of questioning Officer Randell and got easily angered when he asked for verification that Mister Scott and myself were unharmed and that the crew was being returned to the ship. Being senior officers we had to watch what was done to him. He would give a name and two of the beings seemed to check something that highly resembled a displayed compliment of the ship arranged in departments and rankings. They would injure him and ask for another who he considered essential to the ship and why. He would have a different reason for each one; he was in obvious pain yet he worked systematically through all the departments naming one officer from each department so that each department was represented. If he could not name the crewmen he would give a physical description. We could not see exactly what they were using to, to torture him with but they were very systematic and deliberate in what they were doing to him. Has Doctor McCoy given you his prognosis?"

Before he could answer Doctor McCoy walked in, "Well, if you two are going to chat I best let the others in. They've been waiting to chat with the two of you about what just happened as well as wanting to know his prognosis as well. Perhaps the seven of us can figure out what those, those things might mean in the way of a test."

Once Uhura, Scotty, Chekov, and Sulu had arrived and found a place to sit and each had a cup of coffee, he had looked at them, "Thoughts of what this test is that they have mentioned. A test in three parts that we might not even be aware of?"

Uhura looked from him to Spock then back at Kirk, "I do not understand it, Captain. They said he had named the crew. That was what they said, at the start, they wanted to see, if a crewmember knew all the others in the crew and was willing to take punishment to free them."

"We did not see what the punishment was," Sulu had looked at Spock, "at the start. We did not know what they were doing to him till they put up a cross-section schematic projection of the ship and names he had given. They let us see him briefly in an aerial view of him. It was clear he had been, been," seldom had Kirk ever seen his helmsman so visibly shaken.

"The Cossacks! They made each wound in a different place, caused differently, and made to hurt him. He would ask for one of us to verify that the crew was not being harmed. He was in pain, in pain," the navigator had looked at Spock then at him and he had seen the fury about the eyes, "and asking about us."

"Aye," Scotty had looked at Spock and they had clearly been having a private silent conversation as they looked at one another while the Scotsman spoke to the group, "The lad's like a terrier in a cairn with a rodent. He'd nay give up. Even with all them devils doing what they were doing to him he'd nay give up on his belief he could do it, had to do it to save us and the ship. He'd nay be thinking of the pain only of us."

"Hogwash! He'd damn well would have felt that pain." McCoy flared and Scotty had turned and looked at him.

"I said he'd nay be thinking of the pain, not that he'd nay be feeling it."

"That's just it, Scotty. Each wound would have caused him pain. As I told the Captain they clearly timed each wound so that he had time to get over the shock of one wound before the next one." McCoy had obviously been aware of dark eyes looking up at him as he turned and looked at Spock, "They were not only causing him pain but also confusing him."

Spock had nodded, "Psychological trauma as well as physical pain. I surmised that when Mister Scott and I were allowed to see him."

"There is little that we can do for him although Uhura says she has had requests from all the crew to help with his treatment." Slowly McCoy had shaken his head and looked at him, "Jim, there is nothing our medical system,"

It was as he had thought, they also all had no idea what the test would be.


	3. Chapter 3

"**That's it!** **Our** medical system." Uhura had looked at McCoy, "What about our old almost forgotten ways? We've already seen how he seems to relax from just feeling another is with him. I can make up a roster."

"You did say that the **tea compress** treatment seemed to have slightly lowered the pressure of the veins in his neck and I have no idea how many generations that goes back in my family.." Sulu had also been looking at McCoy.

"I will have to write a report about this and request," he had started as he knew he had to get things back to normal even though they still had no idea about the test but he saw how McCoy suddenly looked at him.

Excitement had been in the blue eyes that looked at him and he allowed himself a moment of hope, "That's right! Perhaps part of the test, Jim? Challenge what they **expected;** try old ways they would not have any idea about. **Show them something new.**"

"Aye, I know some they'll nay have heard of that will help the lad. None are new as they are ones from the old highlands."

"Uhura, some have not waited for that roster," McCoy had looked at Sulu, "Even if it is just to give him some tactile contact."

New._ "We learned nothing new from him. He shows us new aspects. We seek knowledge." _Kirk heard again what they had said at the start. He had looked at McCoy then at Spock then back to McCoy, "They mentioned they sought knowledge. If we show them old ways of medical treatment they would learn something new."

"That might be one aspect of the test but, Captain, you did say there are three parts to it." Spock had looked at him and had clearly seen how confident he had felt, "They may have made the two remaining elements more difficult."

"I think they have either told or indicated to us as to what they are looking for, Spock. We just have to figure out what."

"Interesting." Spock looked steadily at Kirk, "Did they say anything else that may have been unusual or relate to us and our actions? I am certain they would know what our standard procedures are to be as they would have been able to access our computers will little effort."

For a moment he got up and walked around as he tried to remember what had been said. There had been something, **something unusual.** Something they had said earlier. _"No reports from them." _The words came back to him. They would have known that the Klingons would, like them, have to make a report. He turned and looked at his Vulcan friend, "I **won't** report the exact events of what happened here and I do not want them mentioned in **any reports**. We encountered a far advanced life form protecting its territory. An officer was, as sometimes happens with first contact, injured. Is that understood?"

One by one the others nodded, "Captain," Uhura stood and walked to where he was standing just staring into the intensive care unit's only patient. "that might be two of the three parts of the test, our showing an attempt to find ways to help him and keep him on the ship as well as to protect the rights of the life form we encountered but that still leaves us with one."

"But what? The only two things that seemed odd in their conversations were their constantly saying should he survive and the one mention of there being no reports from them, meaning the Klingons."

He looked to his right as he had felt a long fingered hand rest lightly on his shoulder, "If it was not something they said then try to think if there was anything moved, if they touched anything."

He shook his head. "It was just a bright light and voice. No physical body. Nothing was moved. Nothing was touched."

"Nothing, **nothing touched?** Jim, try telling that body in there that nothing was touched! Four hundred and twenty nine injuries, one for every crew member he saved."

"Doctor," Spock had looked at McCoy, "Surely by now you are aware that the compliment of this ship is four hundred and thirty. I am aware that Humans do have a tendency to miscount when emotions are,"

"When I operate on a patient do you think I do so while emotional, Mister Spock?"

"No, Doctor. I know when you are operating on a patient you somehow have remarkable control of your emotions and are totally professional. It is, perhaps, possible that what appeared to be one injury,"

"There are four hundred and twenty-nine wounds on that body, Spock. Strategically placed to cause the most pain and damage. I noted each one."

For just a moment there was silence then Chekov said, "He **would not have forgotten** anybody. Randell was playing his game. He would often test himself on who was crew and who was not. Always by department."

"What was it they kept telling him they wanted?" The Chief Engineer had looked one by one at the others around him, "He was ta name all the crew the ship **needed**. It were damn strange when ye think on it as the whole crew is needed."

At the back of his mind, in his recent memories, something stirred as he remembered what Spock had said earlier and he saw both Spock and McCoy look at him.


	4. Chapter 4

"His report of the incident on Terafirm Nine when there was that fault with that blasted transporter." McCoy looked from Scotty to Spock and then to him, "Making us go first."

"If memory serves the report he wrote was basic. It simply gave his observations and then his reasoning for making up you beam up with the Captain and me beam up immediately after you with those rare specimens,"

"He named all the crew he thought needed, four hundred and twenty-nine," McCoy looked at Spock and then at him again.

"He did not think of himself as needed so there is your four hundred and thirty, Bones." For a moment he saw the fury at what had been done flash in the blue eyes before he looked at Spock as he tried to remember what it was that was niggling at the back of his mind, "On that report he stated that his missing would not impact on the efficiency of the ship but that,"

"The Science Officer and First officer **was not expendable**." Spock had kept looking at him and he had seen the pain and guilt so many could not see about those dark eyes, "I believed that the specimens would prove to be a very interesting study and knew the transporter would not take them and Randell's weight and Randell knew it as well. He told me to get the specimens to the ship and then beam him up. There were a few problems with the transporter while he was transported which resulted in Randell being in Sickbay for a few days with repertory difficulties. The specimens have proven to have many more beneficial properties that I had calculated they would."

"The lad joked about that, saying how in his family they were the proud, the few, the expendable as had been the case for generations."

Slowly he had again approached the bed and the young officer who had been sitting with his hand on Randell's hand as he had placed his earlier started to stand but he motioned him to sit. Carefully he touched Randell's throat, felt the faint but steady pulse, then had turned and looked first at Scotty then at Spock, "**No!** No one on my ship, in my crew is expendable. **No one**."

There was the light then that voice. "You have almost passed the test, Captain Kirk. You and your crew are worthy of travelling in our space. With the care we have seen shown towards him and the substance we will leave you, Doctor McCoy, that you inject directly into his heart, your officer will make a full recovery. **You**, Doctor McCoy, must inject the full contents in one treatment, in one movement His body will react violently to the substance as it momentarily shocks the whole body with a series of waves of pain. It soon passes with a brief period of lucidness followed by a fifteen to twenty of your hours sleep. During those hours of sleep your monitors will show you he is returning to full health. His wounds will heal in your normal time as will his other injuries. There will be no permanent damage. As promised on completion of the test we will supply your Engineering Department with the advanced dilithium."

A moment of silence then, "If you look out your viewer you will shortly see our ship. We knew you would be interested in what could be your great-great grandchildren's future if your kind will stop killing one another and work together."

The stunned silence said more than words could. The craft was easily five times the size of the Enterprise. It slowly changed from a recognizable space going craft to a sphere , to a triangle, to a square, to a long rectangle, and seemed to split into blocks attached to each other by two cylinvers. One moment it was visible then gone, reappearing as flickering then flashing lights before becoming a solid form that seemed motionless then started spinning before it vanished again. Kirk looked at Spock and saw total wonder. When he looked at Scotty he saw his Chief Engineer's disbelief turn into fascination.

"The one in the other room who willingly accepted what we did to him for your sakes is a fine example of your kind. Had our founding peoples not realized that the survival of our founding races depended on accepting one another, as he realized that your survival depended on him, we would not have continued and advanced as we did. He showed that there are those of your kind who will willingly face an unknown danger and possible torture and death for others which our founding peoples did. Care for him. He thinks of you all as family and this ship as home. Thank him for what he gave us. Let him know it was necessary."

A flash of near blinding light then nothing. No, he realized as he stood, still with his eyes closed. Not nothing, the sound and feel of his ship had returned. He felt a hand on his shoulder slightly tighten.

"Bridge to Sickbay. Is the Captain there?"


	5. Chapter 5

"Kirk here, what is it?" The long fingered hand on his shoulder had given him a reassuring squeeze before it was removed.

"Captain, Officer Hanfer here. All stations on the bridge are operational and manned. Holding position and awaiting your orders."

With one look around he saw Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, and Scotty heading out, each pausing to glance in at Randell, "On my," he hesitated with his hand on button of the communication unit as he saw McCoy slowly walk up to the bed and look at a bottle of a oddly glowing solution. He also saw how Spock was watching McCoy. "I'll be up shortly, Hanfer. Mister Sulu will be there shortly. He will relieve you. Thank you. Kirk out."

Together he and Spock had walked into the Intensive Care room and up to where McCoy was still looking at the glowing liquid. The registers were all reflecting the intensive pain Randell was in and the struggle he was fighting.

"Doctor McCoy, is there a reason you have not administered that medication?"

"I don't know what it is, Spock." McCoy looked at the Vulcan then at him, "I do not just inject something into a patient because I am told to, especially not by the things that caused the damage in the first place."

"And yet you will use medications given to you by Command and not question their source."

"That's different and you know it, Spock!. The medications would have been tested,"

"Is it not possible that their own doctors and scientists could already tested some of it on Randell? Is it not possible that they know it will save him? They are more,"

"Blast it, Spock I know that they are more advanced than us. I am fully,"

For a moment he had not really listened as he had watched his two closest friends starting another of their long debates and seen how the indicators had slowly risen. He could also understand both sides for he understood both men so well. Bones with his emotion and feelings ruling him at the moment and Spock relying on his logic and ability to ignore his Human emotions.

"Doctor, I believe we both know that there is nothing more you can do for him. We both know that, and we both know that what you are holding they said will save his life. What are you really stalling for?"

"Don't you understand, this could kill him. I could kill him." McCoy closed his eyes and bowed his head, "I could kill him."

It was strange, almost a Human gesture that caught him by surprise as Spock reached out and gently placed one of his hands on McCoy's shoulder and took hold of the bottle of glowing liquid. "I do understand, Doctor. I will administer the medication if you will release it. It is illogical but I believe what they said, that it will save his life. I do not believe they would kill him in this way after all he gave them. I will do it if,"

McCoy had nodded his head and looked up Spock, "No, no I will do it, Spock. I am this ship's CMO and it is my duty. Also they said that I had to do it. It could still be a part of the test."

For a moment the two just looked at one another and he could tell there was a private conversation going on as they looked at each other. Finally Spock nodded, released the bottle, and took a step back, "As you wish, Doctor."

After McCoy had emptied the syringe into Barnett's heart he had seen how he had briefly closed his eyes and bitten his bottom lip. McCoy had just stood still for a moment until Spock had moved and taken the syringe from McCoy's grip and placed it on the tray beside the bed. "It is done, Doctor."

McCoy had mutely nodded and had, clearly as an automatic action and in one seemingly fluid movement, placed the syringe on the small security table and secured the lid over it. A clear indication that he would study it later.

There had been perhaps a minute before Barnett's body contorted several times and his breathing became strained then his body went totally limp and momentarily all the registered leveled at the bottom. While he had stood still he had seen how Spock had gripped McCoy's hands, "They told us of this. This has to be, McCoy. This has to happen."

McCoy had for a moment struggled and there was anger in his voice as he said, "You made me kill him, Spock. You and them made me kill him. I swore to do no harm and look how he died at my hand."

Spock had just kept looking at McCoy, "You were right, Doctor. It was part of the test. They wanted to see if you were a doctor and could set aside your emotionalism for the good of your patient. That was why they said you had to do it." he had heard the baritone voice lower and soften, "You have to believe that it will work, Doctor. You had already said there was nothing you could do for him. They told us this would happen."

There had been so much pain and torment on his friend's face when McCoy had looked up at Spock and as he watched he had seen Spock nod, "You have given him what he needed, Doctor, and you have shown them the qualities that make you the finest doctor in the Federation."

McCoy had just started, "But I," when Barnett's body shook violently and the registered rose to the normal level and he coughed and few times which had both Spock and McCoy rush to the sides of the bed and steady him.

As he watched Barnett briefly opened his eyes, looked at McCoy then at Spock and seemed confused then seemed to struggle, "Mister Scott. They,"

"He is down in Engineering. We are all safe. You need to sleep. Somebody will always be with you. When you awaken we will talk. You sleep." From how McCoy had quickly looked at him he could tell that McCoy had also been surprised at how calm and friendly and reassuring Spock had been. Barnett gave a slight nod, closed his eyes and gone to sleep.

McCoy had done six scans of Barnett, looking more and more satisfied with each reading and then turned and looked at both Spock and him, "Haven't you two got somewhere to be and something to be doing? My patient will sleep now for a few hours and I will let you know when he can have visitors."

"Do you intend to be with him all,"

"Well, since you told him that he would not be alone and I know of your dislike for Sickbay of course I will be with him. The Captain will take you to have something to eat and then you two should get some sleep."

"Bones," he had started to protest.


	6. Chapter 6

"Do I have to make it an order? I want you two to get at least six hours of sleep and have something to eat. I have told the others the same. We now have to wait." While he had been talking McCoy had moved a chair close to the bed, sat down and placed his hand on Barnett's hand. "Well, don't be standing there. **Git!**"

Together he and Spock had gone and had a meal. They had not talked about the event nor much of any real importance, recounted their last chess game, talked about the food on the other craft that Spock had commented had an oddly fresher more natural taste, and then gone to their quarters. Till he had lain down on his bed he had not been aware of just how exhausted he was.

Spock had been in his quarters when he had awoken and had handed him a cup of coffee. "Are you well rested, Jim?"

As he had taken the coffee he could tell from how his friend and First Officer was looking at him that something was not right. "Yes, Bones was right, I needed that sleep. And you?"

"I found it beneficial to rest as well."

"Want to tell me what is wrong then?"

"I contacted McCoy before I came to see you to inquire about Randell and was told, in the way only McCoy can abuse language, to do my own damned job, to leave him to his and that he would obviously have contacted me if there was anything to tell me." For a moment Spock had looked away then back at him, "I was relieved to know that the good doctor was back to his own usual form but I would have appreciated knowing how Randell was doing."

He had smiled. He had long watched the friendship his two friends had and knew that while they would verbally do battle, would taunt one another, underneath was a deep caring emotion for one another. Just as much as Spock would deliberately infuriate McCoy, Bones would give back as good as he got. It was just the occasional time that Spock was still uncertain about what McCoy meant.

"I think he means that Randell is the same but if it will make you happy I will contact him." He had planned on doing it when he woke and reached out, "Captain Kirk to SickBay."

"McCoy here. Jim, I will tell you what I told Spock and Scotty. There is no change in Randell's condition and I will let you know as soon as there is any change. I hope you both got some sleep."

"We did. Thanks, Bones. We'll have breakfast then go to the bridge. If you need,"

"All I need, Captain, is for you to keep your First Officer busy and out of my Sickbay. I do not expect Randell to wake for a few hours more and before you ask, Spock, I do not know how many hours. We just have to wait. McCoy out."

They had had breakfast, had gone back to the bridge, turned the ship around, and done a report that lacked one major encounter and was lacking in details as to what caused the destruction of the Klingon ship. Instead of making the report in his quarters he had made it on the bridge and had Uhura have it ship-wide so that the whole crew knew what had been said. They had all been a part of it and he wanted them to know exactly what those not there would ever know about the events. With him having said it was the official report he knew his crew understood that it was the only report that would be given.

"McCoy to Captain Kirk." The silence and waiting had ended and he almost automatically looked at Spock yet was aware of the others watching him.

"Kirk here."

"In a few minutes, after he has had some liquid food, Officer Barnett can have a maximum of two visitors at a time for a few minutes only . He will still need bed-rest and steady physical therapy for some time and I would expect him to be back on the roster in six weeks on light duties. At present all his signs are normal and a full recovery is expected. He still will need some help for a spell but with the roster that Uhura has I doubt if there will be difficulty with finding additional help. There is one slight problem, though,"

Spock moved over to stand next to Kirk on his right side beside the command chair and Kirk saw the raised eyebrow, "And what is that, Bones?"

"When I went to analyze what that potion was the bottle that had been in the syringe **it was gone**."


	7. Chapter 7

Doctor, I highly doubt if anybody would have taken it."

"Not that kind of gone, Spock. Gone as in dissolved. As you recall I placed the syringe with the bottle in it on the security table by the bed and locked it. The syringe was still as I had placed it but there were two drops of liquid where the bottle **should have been**. I analyzed then had the whole Science department verify my findings."

"And what were they, Doctor?"

"Water. Pure water. It does not seem possible."

Kirk had seen the eyebrow raise, "As I have said, Doctor, to an advanced society what we consider advanced technology and science to them would seem very backward."

"But aren't you the least bit curious as to what it was?"

"While curiosity is an emotion, Doctor, I will admit that it would have been fascinating to know what it was.."

"Hear that, Jim? Something that could do what it did and all he can say is that it would have been **fascinating** to study it. Something like that,"

"Is something we are not ready for, Doctor."

"How, **how can you say that**, Spock? Do you realize what that could have done?"

"It would be like what would have happened if anybody from Earth's twenty-first century were to have access to the medical treatments we have at our disposal. Think about that warlike period of your history and if one group having the power to unleash a lethal disease on an enemy, or the whole planet, knowing that they and only they had the cure yet not knowing of the side effects nor of what it would react with. We are not ready for it, Doctor. In time we may be ready. Is it not enough that for now it saved Officer Barnett's life after he had saved our lives?"

"Dammit, must you always be so infuriatingly logical? Yes, it is really enough that it saved Rarnell's life. At least you did not compare it to the rattles and bearskins as you have often referred to how I practice medicine. I am thankful for small mercies. I'll expect you two down at some stage. McCoy out."

Kirk shook his head and sat still for a moment just looking about the bridge and at the stars. There was quietness about the ship again. It was not the unsettling silence as before. No, he sat with his eyes briefly closed, this was a comfortable almost warming quietness. When he opened his eyes he saw Spock looking at him and he knew what it was. it was that peaceful near silence he knew was found in homes, even homes as big as the Enterprise, filled with friends and family when all is well and no words are needed.

**FIN**

* * *

**A/N** Well that's that. Thanks so much to those who did review/PM about it.


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